When gases are used as an operating resource, as reagents or the like in technical processes, impurities in the form of particulate and/or fluid media in the process gases in question pose a risk to operational reliability up to and including system failure, may distort analysis results or may result in other malfunctions. In many cases, in addition to particulate impurities, the available gases are also contaminated by fluid media such as water and oil. Among other things, in the case of the increased use of hydrogen (H2) for actuation purposes, such contamination of the gases that serve as operating resources is necessary to anticipate. Freedom from particulate and fluid impurities, such as water and oil, is essential to the operating ability of the relevant, associated systems such as, in particular, fuel cells.